J is for Juliet
by lilyofthevalley2
Summary: While Ladd is in prison, Lua is offered the chance of a lifetime—or is it a deal with the devil?
1. Chapter 1

Adelle DeWitt smoothed her dark blue skirt down absentmindedly and sipped a cup of tea as she looked over the file for a possible new recruit.

Lua Klein. Female, 28 years old. Quite attractive, though none of the pictures available of her featured her actually looking at the camera. Her fiance was a rogue member of the Russo family, known for having a taste for violent, bloody death. Lua rarely appeared without him, but it was unclear if she was genuinely devoted to him or simply afraid. She had no other family, no known friends. And her fiance had recently been sent to Alcatraz, following a massive brawl in his first prison, and she was staying with another member of the mafia. According to the rumors, she was being kept under surveillance by the mob to ensure her fiance's good behavior. All in all, she was the ideal candidate—no friends and no family who would miss her, and moreover, someone the Dollhouse might be able to help, if she would let them.

A light knock at the door, and Adelle set down her tea as Mr. Dominic, the firm's security consultant, entered. "Ma'am, Miss Klein is here to see you."

"Oh good, Mr. Dominic. You've made the arrangements so her visit will go unnoticed by the Russo family?"

"Yes, but are you sure about this one, Ma'am? We had trouble getting information on her, but there are some suggestions that she may be a killer herself. It may not be safe." He crossed his arms, looking at her in that annoyed, grumpy look that meant he was worried about a situation.

"Yes, I read your report. However, we cannot hold her responsible for what her fiance has done. Being married to a murderer does not make her one as well. Even if she is, we can hardly claim our hands are entirely clean." There had been more than one time that they or their Actives had been required to kill. It was unfortunate, but necessary.

Mr. Dominic scowled darkly. "Yes, but the last time we took on a killer, we ended up with Alpha."

"Alpha was a special case. Besides, he was driven mad by having multiple imprints. I've no intention of letting that happen again." Alpha was a mistake, not a pattern. As a rule, they had no difficulties with any of their Actives in their doll state. "Send her in, Mr. Dominic," she said.

He shook his head but left without another word, letting the door shut a bit too loudly behind him. Adelle smiled slightly. Mr. Dominic was a good security man, but sometimes he rather gave the impression of being an overprotective bulldog.

Lua pushed open the heavy, carved mahogany doors and entered the office. It had a deep carpet that didn't make any sound when she walked over it, and all the furniture was covered in dark leather, with all the tables and chairs made out of hardwood. It was the kind of place that screamed money; it was also the kind of place that Ladd would have said was just perfect, both because the rich bastards who lived there would never expect anything bad to happen to them, and because the thick carpet and decorative paneling would muffle the sound of the screams.

"Miss Klein, I'm so happy you're able to join us today." Lua looked up to see a woman wearing a navy blue day suit and jacket stand behind a desk and come down to meet her. Her appearance screamed money, too, and she had a funny accent. Maybe English or something, Lua wasn't sure. And she also had the kind of smile Lua recognized: a fake smile, the kind of smile you used when you were trying to sell something. "My name is Adelle DeWitt. May I get you anything? Tea, coffee—or something stronger?"

Lua considered the probability that she might drug the drink, but decided that if they wanted to take her, they could just have the big blonde man she saw on the way in do it. They wouldn't need to use drugs—and they didn't have any reason to kill her. She looked at the sideboard. It had a teapot, as well as several different glass containers of alcohol. "Brandy, please," she said softly.

"Of course," Miss DeWitt said, taking out two glasses and pouring brandy into them. She handed one to Lua, who sipped it. It tasted different, not much like the stuff she'd had before. It didn't have such a sharp taste. She supposed that rich people wouldn't like that kind of brandy. "Shall we have a seat?" asked Miss DeWitt, motioning to a black leather chair.

Lua nodded took a seat and sipped her brandy. The other woman seemed to be studying her, but Lua wasn't sure what she was looking for, or what she was finding. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked finally.

Miss DeWitt leaned back a bit in her chair, as if she'd made some sort of decision about her. "Miss Klein, have you heard the rumors about the Dollhouse?"

Her eyes widened. Of all the questions to ask, that was such a strange one. She'd heard stories since she arrived in New York—about a strange place that took handsome men and beautiful girls and hypnotized them to take their memories away and make them into someone else. She hadn't paid it too much attention. "Yes." She fell silent, but she realized Miss DeWitt wanted her to say what she'd heard. "They say the Dollhouse can take your memories away and make you into anyone."

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Miss DeWitt leaned forward, her face lighting up with that smile—more sincere now. "You see, in this world, few people are ever truly what they seem. They lie or hide the truth, and inevitably, people are disappointed and lonely."

Lua nodded a little. She knew that was true. Nobody was ever what they seemed to be, like her old boyfriend. Nobody until she met Ladd. Ladd was exactly what he seemed to be. He never lied to her; he told her exactly what he was going to do, and he _always_ did it. She never had any doubt that he'd come back in time to kill her some day. She just had to stay alive for him until then.

Miss DeWit continued, "What we do here, Miss Klein, is offer the truth you can't find anywhere else. The lover who doesn't just seem to be perfect for you, but who truly _is_ perfect for you. The friend who only wishes to be there for you without hope of gain. We provide people with not simply what they want, but with what they _need_."

What they need…it was a wonderful thought. Ladd didn't need her while he was in jail, no one in this world needed her. She had no purpose—she'd have killed herself if it wasn't for her promise. "What do you want with me?"

"I'd like to offer you a job, as one of our Actives. We can offer you a contract. Five years for us, and we'll make all the arrangements. The mafia members who are holding you at the moment will find other pursuits more…worth their time. For you, the time will pass in an instant; you won't remember any of it. And when your term is up, you'll be quite wealthy. You can go anywhere, do anything you'd like," her eyes watched Lua closely, gauging her reaction.

Five years, gone in an instant. Five years without Ladd, years she wouldn't have to remember. Being _needed_ again. She wanted that, wanted someone to need her so much that she was the only person who could give them what they wanted. She'd do _anything_ for that. "Ladd won't be out in five years…" she said, a little wistfully. She'd love to sleep until he was free again.

"Indeed not—and if you wish, we can arrange it so you don't have to see him again," Miss DeWitt said.

Lua jumped up, nearly upsetting her drink. She _couldn't_ do that! Ladd would think she'd broken her promise. "I won't do it if I can't see him again," she said.

"Then we wouldn't dream of separating you," Miss DeWitt assured her. "After all, we wish to provide our Actives with what they need, just as much as our clients."

Lua considered it. It was a good deal—almost _too_ good. Forgetting everything for five years, being needed, not having to stay with people who hated Ladd. "Why did you pick me?"

"It's not so complicated. We look for people who have no close connections, no family, who cannot bear the troubles of their life, and we offer them a better path. Many of our Actives had run out of options when they came here." Adelle sipped her brandy and set it on the table between them. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. My company collects a fee, and we provide what people need."

It made sense. If someone had lots of family they wouldn't be a good choice. But she only had Ladd—and she couldn't even visit him. All at once, Lua remembered being on the balcony of the bedroom in that building, about to jump off, and she saw Ladd come in the door, shotgun over his shoulder. _Heya, dollface. You shouldn't jump off yet! If you want to die that badly, stick around with me, and when I'm done killing the people who actually want to live, I'll make sure I kill you—slowly and personally._ She shuddered with pleasure just remembering it.

Five years. Five years closer to being back with him. "Yes," she said softly. "But…is there any way I could stay until Ladd is released from prison?"

Adelle smiled more widely and stood up. It really _was_ a smile that reminded her of Ladd, when someone started blustering at him—a pleased smile that said things were going well. "I'm sure we can work something out. I'll have my secretary draw up some papers for you to sign."

Lua stood as well, downing the rest of the brandy in a single gulp before she headed towards the door, padding silently across the red carpet. "Thank you," she said quietly, and pushed the doors, ready to start a new life she wouldn't have to remember.

**AN: **To those who have been following my other fics, I promise, I haven't forgotten any of them! I will be getting back around to them as soon as I can.


	2. Chapter 2

After she signed various forms, Lua was taken downstairs by a quiet, well-dressed secretary. They went down via an elevator with lavish gold grating—real gold, Lua thought, not just gilded brass like you saw in fancy hotels. It seemed like they were travelling for a really long time, through a shaft that didn't seem to have any openings for other floors. It was kind of like being down a mine. The secretary smiled the whole time and didn't say anything. Lua didn't say anything either. She was a little nervous. What if something happened, and they didn't let her go? She wouldn't want Ladd to get out and find that she wasn't there.

Finally, they came to a floor and the doors opened on a lush waiting room. The floors were all mahogany, and there were several fountains around. It was lit by what must have been hundreds of electric bulbs, but they were all shaded in frosted glass so that everything had kind of a soft, diffuse look. There were people around, mostly younger people, although she saw a few older ones. They all looked very calm, with bland smiles. A lot of them were doing exercises. Some of them were just wandering around. "Will I be like them?" Lua asked.

The secretary nodded and smiled her bright smile some more. "Yes. Those are our other Actives." Lua fell silent, watching them. They seemed…content, like they didn't need anything. It must be nice… A little longer and she'd be one of them, she reminded herself as she watched the others. She almost missed the first step of a staircase because she was watching one of them, a well-built blonde man who reminded her a little of Ladd.

"Watch your step," warned the secretary. Lua pulled her eyes away and looked at the staircase. There was a doorway up ahead. It was partially open but the doorway obscured what lay inside. The secretary knocked lightly and pushed it the rest of the way open for her. Inside, a man with sandy blonde hair and disheveled clothes peeked out. "Ah, hello! Bringing me a new subject? Always like to get new subjects."

"Yes, Mr. Brink. This is Miss Lua Klein. She'll be our newest Active." The secretary smiled one more time and then turned to leave. "I'll just leave you alone now," she assured them.

Lua watched her go, a bit at a loss as she turned back to the man—more of a boy really. He had an odd, eager look as he looked her over. "So, you've signed all the paperwork and everything? Pft, what am I saying? Of course you have or you wouldn't be down here!" He motioned her to come farther in, towards a room with a sort of reclining chair in it. It had all sorts of wires and valves clustered around it, pumping and hissing. Mr. Brink flipped a few switches and inserted something into the top of the chair. "All right, we'll just need you to go in there and strip down to your under-thingees. Clothes kind of get in the way of all the wires and stuff." He looked a little sheepish about it, like he wasn't too eager to have her undress.

Lua just nodded and went in the other room, taking off her clothes. She wondered when she would see that outfit again. Years, probably. It was a strange thought, being someone else for a while, but not an unpleasant one.

The changing room was a little cold, but the room with the chair was quite warm. She wasn't uncomfortable at all in her bra and underwear. "What do you need me to do?" she asked softly.

"Oh…um…yeah. Just lie down in the chair and we'll fix you right up." She lay back and he attached a few wires to her chest and to her head. His hands were cold, and sort of stringy. Not like Ladd's. His hands were always hot and strong. Hands she knew would be able to kill her a hundred different ways, each one more original than the last, and his face would be the last thing she saw. _Ladd…_ She closed her eyes, picturing him, his face, his smile. She smiled a little herself as she felt the chair recline with her in it.

Sudden pain washed over her and she started to scream.

"So I'm supposed to, what, bond with this girl?" Brian Reed put his hands in his pockets as he looked at the girl in the Chair. She had long, wavy brown hair and vacant hazel eyes. She couldn't have been much more than nineteen, and Brian wondered how she had ended up here. Not that it mattered. Still, it was a pretty, appealing face—a little like Maria's when she was that age.

"You make it sound like it's some kind of glue." Topher chuckled as he fussed with some wires and fidgeted at a valve until it was whooshing smoothly up and down. "This is art, my man! You are going to become the center of her existence! More than a father or a lover. To her, you are like…well, not God. That's me, pretty much." He chuckled at his own joke. "But definitely an angel. A…surly, sort of grumpy angel. Jeez, what is it with you ex-cops? You and Boyd should form a Grumpy Handlers Club." He produced a piece of paper and handed it to Brian.

"What's this?" Brian looked at it. It had some lines on it—really inane lines.

Topher stood up and made a final adjustment before looking at him. "Your script! This is how we make her trust you. Now, come on! We don't have all day, take her hand and read your lines."

Brian frowned a little. This was ridiculous. They had to be pulling a trick on him, right? Although with the exception of Topher and his idiotic jokes, none of the Dollhouse people seemed to have much of a sense of humor. Still, he took the woman's hand. "What's her name?"

"Um…" Topher looked at a sheet. "Juliet. She was just wiped for the first time a few hours ago."

"Juliet." Kind of an unfortunate name, even if it did just represent a letter of the alphabet. He looked into Juliet's eyes. "Everything's going to be all right," he said, feeling foolish.

Her eyes met his, and filled with trust—such trust that he felt kind of awkward about it. "Now that you're here," she murmured.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. Kind of stupid, she obviously did.

She smiled a little, as if it was almost a kind of joke. "With my life."

Even though it was just programmed, Brian found himself floored by the trust he saw in Juliet's eyes. He stood there for a moment, staring. It was the purest thing he'd ever seen in an adult—it was sort of eerie. He understood for the first time what DeWitt meant when she called the Actives 'the purest souls among us.'

"Um…you can let go now." Topher said from behind him, a stupid grin on his face. Brian let go instantly, scowling for the way he felt like a fool again. He handed some clothes to the young woman. "Juliet, you can put these on in that little room back there, and then go downstairs to meet all your friends. Maybe even take a swim or something."

"I enjoy swimming," she agreed. "I like to swim thirty laps every day. It helps me be my best."

"Great…you go do that." Topher shooed her into the changing room and turned off the chair. It turned off with a slow whirring sound.

Brian frowned. "I thought they were supposed to be a blank slate as Dolls. If she goes swimming, wouldn't she drown?"

Topher wiggled his hand from side to side. "We give them a few basic skills so they know how to eat and keep in shape. Otherwise we'd have to treat them like babies and who wants to be changing icky grown-up diapers all day?"

Brian grunted. "You know, you're like an overgrown five year old." Topher seemed to have no sense of tact whatsoever.

"But a lot smarter!" Which Brian had to admit was probably true. He certainly didn't understand the way this stuff worked. He'd asked Topher about it once, when he was new. Never again. Brian hadn't even understood what half the words meant, and his mother had been a schoolteacher. "Anyway, you should go home, get some rest or do…whatever grumpy ex-cops do to relax. Beat up some bad guys or something." Topher laughed again. "You'll need it when it's time for your first assignment."

"Which will be when?" Brian asked. He'd heard stories—everything from assassination to really kinky sex.

"Who knows? Ours is not to reason why, my friend," Topher said, looking at a chart.

"I'd prefer not to do and die," Brian said. He wondered if Topher even knew where the quote came from. He didn't strike Brian as the kind of person who knew Tennyson.

Topher looked quizzical. "We'll try to avoid that," he promised.

Juliet wandered out of the room where she had received her treatment. She liked her treatments. She liked the man who had been there too. She didn't know his name but she trusted him. He was nice.

A nice lady showed her downstairs and introduced her to some people—two women and two men. "Juliet, these are going to be the other people in your group. This is Foxtrot, Tango, Kilo, and Charlie. Everyone, this is Juliet. She'll be joining your group today."

"Hello," she said to them.

"Hello," they said back.

"We were just doing some exercises," a man said. "Would you care to join us?"

"Of course," Juliet assured him. "I try to be my best." And if he wanted her to do some exercises, she would do some exercises. She wanted to please him.

The man showed them how to stretch and move slowly through some exercises. They felt nice. Juliet wanted to swim afterwards too cool off. They all went swimming together. It was a strange swimming pool. Each person got their own pool like a narrow lane. After she was done, she met Foxtrot, Tango, Kilo, and Charlie again, so they could go to the showers together.

The shower was nice and warm. Juliet enjoyed the hot water on her face after the cool water of the swimming pool. When she was done, she wrapped up her hair and body in two towels, and then brushed her hair and got dressed. Tango and Charlie were done before her. They didn't have long hair. Foxtrot and Kilo took a little longer, but that was all right. They were all friends. Friends wait for each other.

When they were all dry, they went to their sleeping pods. Juliet closed her eyes as the lid closed over her. She felt safe and comfortable in the bed. Nothing could get to her there. Nothing bad would ever happen. Everything would be all right.

Now that he was here.


End file.
